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Rationale
Disadvantaged children are commonly defined as children who lack money or economic support, face problems such as mental or physical disability, or are politically deemed to be without specific power or influence. College Mentors for Kids takes local disadvantaged children and attempts to help them learn valuable life skills to which they may not otherwise have access. Teaching and mentoring has several benefits, and we seek to find the most effective and efficient way to run a mentoring program through looking at College Mentors for Kids. The reasons that a well run mentoring program is so desirable are that it aids disadvantaged children in both intellectual and mental ways, as well as benefits the mentor's own mental health and the community's health as a whole. The only negative effects that mentor programs have been found to have is that there is occasionally no change in either mentor or mentee. The first reason for a mentoring program is that it can increase the intellectual productivity of the children in the program. When children have positive role models in their lives, they are more motivated to be like those role models. The problem is finding these role models. A good mentoring program can provide positive role models for all children who join the mentoring program. Another specific benefit of College Mentors for Kids is that the mentors are all in college, making them closer to the age of the children they are mentoring, and making it easier for the children to connect with them. In addition to this, children are more likely to desire a college education if they see a positive role model who is currently pursuing a college education. Studies show that children in mentoring programs are more likely to pursue education of a college degree and beyond. Being in a mentoring program where the mentors are successful academic individuals motivates the mentees to improve their own academic standing, both in the short term and in the long term. The second reason for a mentoring program is that it can improve the behavioral tendencies of the children in the program. Studies found that children who are in good mentoring programs are less likely to act out in class or disrespect authority, but at the same time are more likely to constructively participate in classroom discussion. The reason for this is that they are both more well behaved because of what their mentor has taught them, as well as more confident in their abilities. Because of this, other students can benefit from the student's insight and the more productive classroom experience, even if the other students are not a part of a mentoring program. So the program can have an effect on an individual student, enabling that student to positively effect other students in his or her area of influence. The third reason is that it can improve the mental state of the mentor, increasing self-confidence. When there is a mentor-mentee relationship, not only does the child benefit from having a positive role model, but the mentor also benefits from being a positive role model. When the mentor sees that he or she is able to positively effect someone's life, he or she gains self-confidence. Because of this, adults with mental issues may sometimes be a part of a mentoring program in order to get certain mental benefits that come from being a mentor. This way, the mentoring relationship goes both ways and both parties are able to receive the benefits. The fourth way in which mentoring programs are helpful is within the community as a whole. When a student goes into a mentoring program, he or she begins to learn useful skills that will help him or her with life and education. Because of this, if there are more children that going into mentoring programs, there are more children, or future adults, being released into the community to share the fruits of their improved lives in a way that can benefit the community. Also, a child who has had a positive mentoring experience would be more likely to participate in a mentoring program later in life, this time as a mentor, in order to continue the cycle from mentor to mentee, and further benefiting the community.